HONG KONG - Hong Kong registered 8.4 million visitor arrivals in the first two months of 2025, up 7 percent year-on-year, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) said.

Among them, approximately 6.5 million visitor arrivals were from the mainland, up 4 percent from last year. Visitor arrivals from elsewhere jumped significantly, hitting 1.91 million and representing a 20 percent increase from last year, the HKTB data showed.

Short-haul markets have shown particularly strong performance, with 1.13 million visitor arrivals recorded in the reporting months, up 26 percent. Notably, travelers from the Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea all increased over 30 percent.

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In the long-haul sector, around 500,000 arrivals were made from overseas, reflecting a 20 percent increase, with Australia leading the way at an impressive growth rate of 34 percent.

To enhance experience for travelers, the tourism board has launched a new program platform titled "Hong Kong Great Outdoors," designed to introduce global visitors to the city's scenic hiking trails, outlying islands, and geological parks.

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The recent budget proposal from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government for the fiscal year 2025/2026 included a significant allocation of HK$1.235 billion ($158.8 million) to the tourism board, aimed at realizing the concept of "tourism is everywhere" and implementing the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong's Tourism Industry 2.0.